Magvel Repossessed
by CrypticGirl
Summary: A year has passed since the War of the Stones ended. With his body destroyed, the Demon King should have never been able to return, but...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones and all related characters and locations belong to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. I make no profit from this; I only seek to entertain readers.

It's been a year since the War of the Stones ended. A whole year since Prince Ephraim and Princess Eirika defeated the Demon King, along with their band of allies. Soldiers and civilians from each nation fighting together for a common cause, to protect their world. The stories and legends from the ancient past had repeated itself once more. According to Prince Innes, they had done more than the stories had told. The Demon King's body had been destroyed. He could never return. The peace in Magvel would be everlasting this time, right?

But even after the war ended, the battle was far from over. The battle to rebuild the nations, to repair houses and buildings. The hardest part was healing from the grief the people suffered. The grief of losing loved ones, losing their leaders. A year later, and some of the grief had yet to heal.

As for the Sacred Stone of Rausten, the only stone that remained after the Demon King's ambition to destroy them all, it had been stored beneath the royal Castle of Renais, where its own stone had been kept. With the Demon King's soul imprisoned within, the stone itself had become more powerful. The Renais twins had thought it prudent to seal it away with their bracelets, so that no one would dabble with it as Prince Lyon had with Grado's Sacred Stone.

The Demon King, however, was still not dead. His soul imprisoned yet again, his huge, powerful body destroyed, the Demon King was furious. And his own fury would awaken a new level of power within him.

_I never imagined I would be imprisoned again,_ he thought in his dark rage. _Accursed humans...accursed dragonkin...all of them will pay. I will escape, build a new body, and cover this land with darkness. Every human will bow before me as their master..._

A dark, purple fog began to spread from within the Sacred Stone, seeping through the cracks of the vault...

* * *

Ephraim and Eirika had been quite busy during the past year in the restoration of Renais, as well as Grado. Ephraim, especially, had been working with General Duessel to restore Grado, who had no successor with both Emperor Vigarde and Prince Lyon's deaths.

For now, at least, Ephraim and Eirika had found a little leisure time. They were now at a lake not far from Renais Castle, their armor and clothing already lying at the shore. The pair, clad in their swimming apparel, was taking a little dip in the lake.

"Ah...this is so nice," Eirika said, with a sigh of contentment.

"It is," Ephraim agreed. "It's about time we had a chance to do something like this. We've been so busy rebuilding Magvel, we've never even thought about taking time off."

"Hee hee," Eirika giggled.

"Hey sis..." Ephraim smirked. "You want to find out who can hold their breath the longest?"

Eirika rolled her eyes. "Oh Brother...I'm sure you can hold your breath longer."

Ephraim frowned. "Oh, come on. You can at least try to beat me. It's no fun if you admit defeat before you even try."

"Well, if you insist, Brother. You have a point."

"All right, on the count of three. One...two...three!"

With a deep breath, the twins dove under the water's surface. Meanwhile, the dark, purple fog rolled over them, passing by in a matter of seconds.

A few moments went by as the twins waved their limbs gently to remain underwater as long as they could. Eirika, however, could feel her lungs giving out rapidly, desperate for air. Succumbing to the urge, she resurfaced, popping her head out of the water, gasping for air. Ephraim rose after her, catching his breath as well.

"Looks like I won," he remarked, laughing in between heavy breaths.

"Yes, you did," Eirika said, admitting defeat. "But...I'll try harder next time."

"That's the spirit! Come on; let's get back to the castle."

They made their way over to the shore, and spent another minute or two donning their armor. Afterwards, they stood and headed back to the castle.

* * *

Up in the Caer Pelyn range, Saleh and Gerik walked along the mountain path heading up to the village.

"Can you believe it's been a whole year since we defeated the Demon King?" Gerik asked. "A whole year!"

"Yes..." Saleh replied solemnly. "It still feels like it happened yesterday, though."

"No kidding. You don't fight battles like that every day. I almost wish I could fight another battle again."

Saleh gave his friend an odd look. "Gerik, you're a mercenary. I thought that fighting never ends for you."

"Well, business has been kind of slow since the war ended. Peaceful times and all."

"Hmm. It is true that the nations have been busy rebuilding after everything. The war has affected all of them, and they have united from their shared suffering. I only hope that they continue to live in peace."

Gerik nodded in agreement, shooting a casual glance at the land below. The purple fog covered the land in a fine blanket.

"Ghastly fog out there, don't you think?"

Saleh glanced out at the fog as well, a look of horror spreading across his face. "Great Dragon...that is no natural fog."

"Then what could it be...?"

Before they could ponder any further, a loud thunderclap boomed from somewhere near the village.

"Aaaaahhh!" cried a young boy's voice.

Saleh whirled around, facing that direction. "Ewan!?"

He ran up the path towards the village, with Gerik following close behind. As they got closer to the source, they found a tree that had been knocked over, a little smoke rising from the trunk.

"Ewan!" Saleh cried out again.

"Teacher..." Ewan's voice came out strained. "I'm...I'm stuck..."

Saleh and Gerik approached to examine the tree and Ewan's predicament. The young pupil was face-down on the ground, pinned beneath the tree.

"Ewan, what happened?" Saleh asked.

"I was practicing the Thunder spell on this tree..." Ewan said. "I didn't expect the tree to fall on top of me!"

Saleh shook his head in mild annoyance. _Such carelessness_. "All right...we'll get you out. Gerik..."

"Right," Gerik replied, examining the tree. "I'll lift the tree while you pull him out."

They both got into position, Gerik bending over, wrapping his arms around the top of the trunk, while Saleh crouched down to grab hold of Ewan's wrists.

"All right, on three," Gerik warned. "One...two...three!"

He exerted all of his strength, slowly lifting the tree from the ground. Saleh pulled gently on Ewan's arms, so as not to hurt him. When the tree was lifted high enough, Saleh carefully slid the boy out from underneath.

"I've got him," he called.

On cue, Gerik let go of the tree, dropping it on the ground with a heavy thud. He then stood with an exhausted sigh. "Whew...I think I'm losing my muscles here," he said, wiping his forehead.

"Thanks, Teacher, Commander Gerik," Ewan said. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Here, let me heal you." Saleh raised his staff, emitting the soothing glow of blue magic onto Ewan.

"Oh, thanks again, Teacher!" Ewan said, more upbeat. "I feel like a million gold now!"

At that moment, Dara, the village elder, stepped out from her house, approaching the three.

"Is everything all right out here?" she asked.

"Yeah!" Ewan replied cheerfully. "I got stuck under a tree, but Saleh and Gerik got me out."

Saleh and Gerik, on the other hand, weren't so cheerful. Saleh glanced behind him, still concerned about the fog he had seen. Gerik glanced at him, reading his expression. The elder needed to know what they had seen.

Saleh approached the old woman, bowing his head respectfully. "Elder..."

"Hmm?" Dara read his expression quite easily, as she had done for many, many years. "Does something trouble you, Saleh?"

"Yes..." Saleh hesitated, struggling to form coherent sentences. "In the lands below, there is a fog."

"A fog, you say?"

"Yes...it doesn't seem natural. There's something...ominous about it."

"Hmm..." The elder pondered for a moment, her tone turning darkly serious. "Have you heard from the Great Dragon?"

"No, Elder...at least not concerning this. However...I do not believe we should wait either."

"Hmm. If it is as obvious as you say, I would be inclined to agree. Please, seek out the Great Dragon, Saleh. And take your friend with you."

Saleh bowed his head once again. ""As you wish, Elder."

"Hey, can I go, too!?" Ewan jumped in.

Saleh made another brief hesitation... "Very well."

There was no reason Ewan couldn't go at this point. After all, he was involved in the War of the Stones, and the battle against the Demon King. Like any other dangerous situation, they could use all the help they could get.

Gerik was thinking the same thing, though not just about bringing Ewan.

"Al right, it looks like I have a job," he said. "We should head to Jehanna and pick up my troop. And then we can head to Darkling Woods."

"A sound idea," Saleh agreed. "Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Princess Tana of Frelia was flying towards Renais on her Pegasus, Achaeus. During the flight, however, she caught sight of the fog rapidly spreading.

"Whoa, Achaeus...whoa!"

Achaeus stopped in mid-flight, flapping his wings, hovering in place, neighing loudly.

"What is that!?" Tana cried out, alarmed. "Whatever it is, we don't want to get caught in it!"

Flying through a fog on a Pegasus was never a good idea. Who knows what they would crash into, or if some archers chose to shoot them down.

Tana pulled on the reigns, trying to turn the Pegasus away from the fog. "We have to get out of here! Fly away, Achaeus!"

With a loud neigh, Achaeus flapped his wings, flying higher and away from the fog. Tana spotted a high peak fairly close by, so she directed the Pegasus there.

"There! We can hide there until it's safe!" Tana said.

Achaeus gave her a neigh of acknowledgement, and began to fly towards that mountain.

* * *

Ephraim and Eirika returned to Renais Castle. Two soldiers stood guard at the front entrance, letting them pass quite easily. It was expected, as they were the royal heirs of the kingdom. As they walked through the corridor, it seemed strangely quiet. Stiff guards aside, it seemed to lack its usual livelihood.

"Brother..." Eirika whispered. "Do you have a strange feeling?"

"I do, actually," Ephraim replied, just as quiet. "Hello? Seth? Forde? Kyle?"

They walked a few steps farther, coming across a four-way in the corridor. Without warning, Forde and Kyle stepped out from the corners, pointing their spears at them. The twins looked visibly startled, as they jumped back in surprise.

"Kyle! Forde!" Ephraim demanded. "Put down your spears!"

Kyle and Forde only responded by stepping forward, still aiming their weapons. Their faces were blank, void of any recognition. It was as though they only recognized the pair as enemies rather than their leaders.

"Forde!" Eirika cried as the red-armored knight advanced on her. "What is the meaning of this!?"

Still without a word, Forde aimed a thrust at Eirika's torso, but luckily, she quickly sidestepped it.

"Forde!"

Forde only advanced on her again, slowly, but without hesitation. Eirika reluctantly drew her rapier.

"Forde..." she begged more softly, a pleading look in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Kyle was more relentless in pursuing the prince. He aimed one thrust after another at various points of Ephraim's body. Ephraim dodged them quickly, bringing out his own special spear, the Reginleif. He then began to parry Kyle's attacks as they came, but Kyle left very little room for a counter strike.

"Kyle, what has gotten into you!?" Ephraim demanded. "Speak to me!"

Kyle refused to speak. Instead, he tucked his lance away and drew his sword. He raised it in an overhead attack, but Ephraim raised his lance horizontally by the ends to block it.

Eirika's sword didn't fare so well against Forde's lance. While she was able to avoid his attacks, her parries still forced her back, and eventually into the wall. Forde attempted another stab, but Eirika grabbed the lace, holding on tightly.

"They're not listening, Ephraim!" she cried out. "Guards! Guards!"

Looking to her right, she noticed Seth walking casually down the hall towards them. Eirika didn't even notice that Seth didn't seem to be in any kind of hurry. Instead, she broke off from her struggle with Forde and ran over to him.

"Seth, you have to do something! Kyle and Forde are attacking us! Please help us!"

Seth instantly drew his sword, attacking in the same motion with an upward diagonal stroke. Eirika, already on edge, blocked the attack. Seth attempted an overhead stroke, which was also blocked, but he continued to apply pressure, keeping both blades locked.

"Seth!" Eirika cried, desperately trying to snap the Silver Knight to his senses. As the blades were locked, she studied his expression Seth's face didn't look angry or aggressive. Rather, his face had no expression at all.

Suddenly, Seth lifted his foot, pressing it into Eirika's torso, kicking her to the ground. He then raised his sword high.

"Seth, no!" Eirika screamed, bracing herself to be finished off by one of her own most trusted knights.

The scream grabbed Ephraim's attention, as he spared a quick glance from his own battle. "Eirika!"

He shoved back Kyle's blade, thrusting the dull end of his spear into his stomach, stunning him. Ephraim rushed to his sister's aid, stopping a few feet away and throwing his spear, which struck Seth's sword arm. The sword was effectively knocked out of his hand, hitting the ground with a loud, metallic clang. Ephraim went to Eirika's side, swiftly helping her to her feet.

And then they heard the simultaneous marching of many heavy, armored feet, growing closer and closer.

Ephraim and Eirika turned to see the Renais guards marching up behind Kyle and Forde, their spears raised and ready for battle. The twins immediately began to back up, intimidated.

"Brother..." Eirika stammered, unable to express the true horror she felt at the moment.

Ephraim was in a very similar state of emotion. "Run... _Run!_"

The twins pivoted on their feet and scrambled back down the corridor in the direction from which they came. The Renais soldiers continued to march after them at the same speed, with Kyle and Forde in front. Recovering from his arm injury, Seth picked up his sword from the floor before joining the other two knights in the lead.

Ephraim and Eirika made it back to the entrance without much trouble. They did find that odd, even in the heat of the moment, but they didn't have time to wonder about that now. Once they ran outside, they quickly mounted their horses and galloped away. They stopped just when the castle was out of view, glancing at each other in shock and confusion, panting for breath.

"What...what's going on...?" Eirika asked.

"I don't know..." Ephraim said in a rasped whisper. "They were clearly trying to kill us...but they didn't seem to eager to pursue us when we fled. I managed to look at their faces. They didn't seem angry at all. They seemed...empty."

"I saw that...I saw Seth's face. He was really going to kill me...if it weren't for you..." Eirika stopped. She couldn't allow herself to think such thoughts, to show weakness. "I'm sorry, Brother..."

"Don't be sorry. I know you're a strong fighter in your own right, but I am still your brother. Brothers are supposed to protect their sisters. That will never change, no matter how strong you become on your own."

Eirika fell silent for a moment, absorbing the words. It was true; she had grown stronger during the War of the Stones, but she was not immune to fear or sadness. Rather, it was overcoming that fear and sadness that had made her stronger. That, and the comrades who fought with her throughout her journey.

"Thank you, Brother. It is comforting to hear you say that. So what should we do now?"

"Well..." Ephraim paused briefly. There was really no way of knowing what to do about the situation in Renais, and no way of knowing whether it would pass on its own. "For now, we should head to Frelia and explain to King Hayden what's going on. Hopefully we can find some answers from there."

Thankfully, one of Frelia's finest qualities was its ability to gain information, thanks to Prince Innes's spy network. Perhaps they had found some information about this already. At least, the twins could hope. With their plan in mind, they directed their horses to trot towards Frelia.

* * *

Normally, the Jehanna marketplace was blooming with life. Merchants set up the stands to sell their finest goods, from fruits to meats and fish. This was also where the mercenary guild was located, where clients can request mercenaries for their missions. Many of them would specifically request Gerik's troop, because they were considered the best of the best.

However, today was not so normal. As Gerik, Saleh, and Ewan entered the marketplace, it was completely empty. No life, no chatter, no rolling of barrels. The place was silent, save for the sound of the hard breeze.

"This is odd..." Gerik remarked.

"Where is everybody?" Ewan asked.

"Great Dragon..." Saleh mused. "I have an ill feeling about this..."

"Hello?" Gerik led the way forward, peeking into one of the buildings. "Huh...even the bar is empty."

"Look!" Ewan called, pointing a little farther ahead. "There's Marisa!"

Gerik approached the pink-haired swordfighter as she sat in a chair next to an apple cart. She had an apple in her hand, holding it close to her mouth as if to take a bite, but never actually took it. Her face was blank, emotionless, much like it always was.

"Hey Marisa, guess what," Gerik told her. "We've got a job."

Marisa still sat unmoving, as if unaware of Gerik's presence.

Gerik glanced over at Saleh and Ewan, who were hanging back.

"Okay, it's more of a mission," Gerik went on. "We haven't actually discussed any payment arrangements. I...don't even think we need any payment for a job like this. This is serious business."

Still no response. Concerned, Gerik crouched down in front of her, meeting her at eye-level.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Maybe she's mad," Ewan suggested as he approached. "Maybe I can help."

Gerik stepped back as Ewan stepped in front of the Crimson Flash now.

"Hey, Marisa! Commander Gerik says we have a job now! It always makes you happy to swing your sword, right?"

This time, Marisa's eyes shifted, glancing at the young mage, her face still blank.

"Maybe she needs a good laugh," Ewan thought.

"Yoo-hoo!" He waved his hand in front of Marisa's face. Then he flopped his elbows at his sides, clucking like a chicken. Next, he tried pulling at the corners of his mouth with his index fingers and sticking his tongue out. "Bleeeeeh!"

Still nothing. Ewan put a finger to his chin, pondering. "Hmm..."

But then Marisa finally moved. She stood up with her arms at her sides, dropping the apple to the ground.

"Oh, Marisa, hi!" Ewan said. "You're alive after all! We were just...um..."

Something about Marisa's behavior still made him uneasy. Suddenly, Marisa threw her arm back, striking Ewan hard across the face, knocking him to the ground. Both Gerik and Saleh jumped with a start.

"Hey, what the hell was that for!?" Gerik demanded.

Ewan stood slowly, trembling. "Okay, okay, Marisa...I'm sorry I made faces at you..."

Marisa either didn't hear the apology or just didn't care. She raised her hand to strike again, but Ewan jumped back to dodge it.

"Yikes!"

Ewan fled into the bar as Marisa pursued him relentlessly. Then the sound of wooden furniture thrashing about could be heard.

"Marisa!" Saleh cried out, rushing to Gerik's side. "Gerik, you must stop her!"

"But there's no stopping her when she gets angry like this!" Gerik protested. "Although...she's never gotten this violent before..."

"Exactly!" Saleh looked at him, his expression speaking for him with the same command. _Stop her!_

"All right, I'll see if I can calm her down..."

As Gerik started walking towards the bar, Ewan suddenly crashed through the window glass, tumbling roughly on the ground.

"Marisa..." the boy stammered, bleeding and teary-eyed. "Why are you...doing this...?"

"All right, that's enough!" Gerik intervened.

But Marisa wasn't finished. She drew her Shamshir, a blade that was small, but deadly, and brought it down in a swift stroke towards Ewan...

"NO!" Gerik drew his own sword, stepping in to stop Marisa's blade, just inches above Ewan's body. Marisa turned her attention to him now, glaring at him.

"Have you gone _crazy_?" Gerik growled through his teeth. "What's gotten into you!?"

Marisa pulled back her sword and attempted another strike, which Gerik also successfully blocked. As their swords clashed, Saleh moved up to check on Ewan.

"This is bad..." he said softly.

"You're...you're telling me..." Ewan groaned, struggling to get up.

"Don't move," Saleh ordered, bringing up his staff to heal the boy.

"Thanks, Teacher." Ewan stood up once he was fully healed. "But what are we going to do about Marisa?"

Saleh stood as well, watching Gerik and Marisa locked in battle. "I don't know. Her battle lust isn't normal..."

Just then, he felt a presence behind him. Turning around, he saw a familiar red-haired dancer.

"Tethys!" Ewan cried, running over to her. "What's going on with Marisa? Why is she all violent!?"

Saleh followed him, but as he got closer, he studied Tethys's expression, which was very similar to Marisa's.

"Great Dragon..." he muttered. "Ewan, be careful!"

"What do you mean?" Ewan asked. "Tethys wouldn't hurt me! She's never hurt anyone in her life! Not physically, anyway..."

"Hmm." Saleh was familiar with both Tethys's flirting, and how many men liked to hit on her after her dances. "She's broken many hearts, I take it?"

"They deserved it!" Ewan pouted. "Right, Tethys?"

Without even acknowledging him, Tethys casually walked past him. Ewan's smile quickly melted into a frown of concern.

Saleh watched her carefully as she slowly approached him. Just when it seemed that she would simply walk by, she quickly slipped behind him, wrapping a pink scarf around his neck. She crossed the ends and pulled on them, tightening it. Saleh could barely gasp as his air flow was suddenly cut off.

"Teacher!" Ewan cried out, both confused and concerned at this sudden turn. "Tethys, what are you doing!? Stop!"

Tethys jerked the sage backwards, pulling the scarf even tighter around his neck. Saleh dropped his staff, trying to dig his fingers under the cloth on his neck, but wasn't having much luck.

"Sis, stop!" Ewan cried again, frozen with indecision. His sister and his teacher were both important to him. He'd have to hurt one loved one to save the other. His first instinct was to use his magic, but he really didn't want to hurt his sister that much.

Meanwhile, Saleh's face was turning pale, and his eyes were turning red. A moment longer and he would pass out or even die.

Realizing that he couldn't delay any longer, Ewan grabbed the staff from the ground, and swung it towards Tethys's back.

"I said stop!" The staff struck the dancer's back at the final word, breaking her hold on Saleh. The sage collapsed to his hands and knees, gasping to catch his breath.

Tethys glared at Ewan before lunging at him and tackling him to the ground. Her hands went to his neck, grabbing hold and attempting to choke him.

"S-sis..." Ewan gasped, realizing just how serious this was. Both Tethys and Marisa were seriously trying to kill them, and he didn't know why.

Whether Saleh had recovered from his own predicament or not, he didn't care. Once he saw Tethys on top of Ewan, Saleh knew he had to move right now. He pushed himself towards them, lifting Tethys to her feet and pushing her backwards. The dancer stumbled a few steps before tipping over into a wagon full of apples.

"Teacher, what's going on!?" Ewan cried in a full panic.

There was no time to answer, as Saleh turned his attention back to the battle between Gerik and Marisa.

"Gerik!"

Marisa lunged at Gerik with another attack, but Gerik sidestepped her, striking the back of her head with the broad part of the blade, knocking her out cold. Gerik didn't bother checking on her as he rejoined Saleh and Ewan.

"Come on!" he ordered, leading the way as the three fled from the marketplace.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When Tana returned to Castle Frelia, she landed her Pegasus outside her bedroom window and then entered the castle through the main entrance. Her first destination was the throne room, where she intended to announce herself to her father, King Hayden. As she walked down the halls, though, she couldn't help but feel unnerved at the seeming emptiness of the castle.

"Hello...?" she called out lightly. "Father? I'm home..."

When no one came out, Tana continued on into the throne room, which was also completely empty.

_Hmm, I guess Father must have gone somewhere_, she thought.

She was about to turn to leave when two soldiers suddenly seized her by the arms.

"Intruders!" she gasped, struggling. "Father! FATHER!"

But then she got a good look at the soldiers, and they weren't intruders at all. They were Frelia's own soldiers.

"What are you doing!?" Tana cried out. "Unhand me this instant!"

The soldiers began to drag the struggling Frelian princess out of the throne room and into the hallway. The thought of being thrown into the dungeon by her own guards sent her into a frenzy. During her struggles, she stomped on one of the soldiers' feet. That was enough to break his hold on her. With one arm freed, Tana punched the other soldier in the face, breaking his hold as well. She wasted no time darting out of the throne room and scrambling down the hall. Only when she began to turn the next corner did she turn her head to see if the soldiers were following. But as she did so, she crashed into someone, namely Prince Innes.

"Ah...Innes!" Tana cried, throwing her arms around him, holding him tightly. "The soldiers in the throne room grabbed me! What's going on?"

Innes didn't make any effort to move, or even answer her. Sensing that something was wrong, Tana stepped back to look at him. He stared at her with an empty gaze.

Tana gulped. "Brother...? What's wrong? You look...different..."

Innes brought out his bow and arrow, loading it onto the string and pulling it back, aiming directly at her.

"No!" Tana screamed, ducking and recklessly moving forward to grab his arms, throwing off his aim. The arrow shot up, jamming into the ceiling. Innes threw Tana against the wall quite easily, aiming another arrow at her. Tana shrieked again, moving to dodge the arrow and run down the hall. Innes ran after her, stopping about halfway down, aiming yet another arrow. At the same time, Tana tripped over her own feet, falling face-first onto the carpeted floor. Innes's shot flew over her head, but Tana didn't even seem to notice as she scrambled to her feet and ran again. She ran through the door at the end of the hall, slamming it shut and pressing her back against it. Innes stopped about ten feet away, this time loading three arrows simultaneously onto the bow string, aiming at the door.

Tana kept her back pressed against the door, gasping to catch her breath. Her heart skipped a beat as the arrows pierced through the door, two on either side of her, and the third above her head.

"Aah!" Screaming once again, Tana threw herself from the door, running to her window and clumsily climbing out. She needed to get out fast, so she ran to her Pegasus, quickly mounting him and grabbing the lance that was strapped to his side.

"Fly, Achaeus!" she cried, flapping the reins. "Hurry!"

Achaeus neighed loudly, flapping his wings, taking off into the sky.

Innes climbed out through Tana's bedroom window and fired an arrow at the Pegasus. The arrow flew closely past their heads; Tana gasped as she clinged carefully to Achaeus's neck, so as not to hurt him.

Seconds later, Achaeus wailed in pain, flapping his wings awkwardly, swaying from side to side.

"Whoa! Achaeus! What's wrong!?" Tana cried out.

Achaeus could not keep up the altitude. Still moving at full speed, he gradually descended into the woods. Tana cringed as she felt the leaves and branches whipping across their bodies. With one more flap of his wings, Achaeus crashed onto the ground, throwing Tana forward. The Frelian princess herself crashed on the ground, tumbling forward a few feet with the momentum.

"Ow..." she sobbed, curling up on the ground in pain.

"Tana?" a woman's voice called, filled with concern.

Tana perked up to see Eirika and Ephraim up ahead, dismounting from their horses. Gasping, terrified, Tana scrambled to her feet, grabbing the lance that had fallen to the ground next to her and pointing it at them.

"St-Stay back!" she demanded. "Don't come any closer!"

"Tana, it's me, Eirika! And my brother, Ephraim!"

Tana's eyes widened as she slowly lowered her lance. She was relieved to see that they still appeared to be normal, but a part of her remained wary. "You're...you're all right?"

"Yes, we're fine," Ephraim said. "But are _you_ all right?"

Dropping all of her defenses, Tana threw down her lance and ran straight into Ephraim's arms.

"Oh Ephraim...I don't know what's happening!" she sobbed. "I returned to Castle Frelia, and the soldiers tried to capture me! Even Innes tried to shoot me!"

"Oh no...Frelia, too?" Eirika asked.

Tana pulled back from Ephraim, turning to face Eirika. "What do you mean?"

"The same thing happened to us in Renais," Ephraim told her. "We were attacked by our own soldiers. That's why we're out here. We were heading to Frelia to explain the situation to King Hayden, but I suppose there's no sense in that now."

"I agree," Eirika said.

Tana shook her head, trying to hold back her tears. "How can this happen? Our own soldiers attacking us...even our own _family_? Innes even tried to shoot us down..."

Ephraim glanced over at the prone Pegasus on the ground. "And it looks like he succeeded."

"What...?"

The three approached Achaeus, seeing what Ephraim had pointed out, an arrow had pierced the Pegasus's side.

"Oh no, Achaeus!" Tana cried, stroking the animal's body.

Ephraim peered at the wound. "That's Innes's shot all right. I recognize the arrow. Let me see if I can get it out."

Gripping the arrow, he attempted to pull it out carefully. This only resulted in more blood trickling from the wound, and the Pegasus wailing in agony.

"You're making it worse!" Tana cried.

"Sorry..." Ephraim released the arrow, leaving it in the Pegasus's body. "But we can't leave it like this..."

"We should try to find a healer," Eirika suggested.

"With this situation, it won't be easy, or even possible," Ephraim said.

He looked up through the trees, studying the sunlight that filtered through the leaves. "It's getting late. We'd better find a safe place to crash for the night."

"But what about Achaeus?" Tana asked. "We can't leave him here."

"Can he move?" Eirika asked. "If not, how are we going to carry him?"

"Hmm..." Ephraim glanced around at his surroundings until his gaze fell onto the horses that he and Eirika were riding. "The horses."

"The horses?" Eirika looked at them as well, unsure of the idea. "Will Achaeus be too heavy for them?"

"If we line the horses side by side and place Achaeus across both of them, they should be able to handle it," Ephraim said. "It'll be awkward, but it's the best we can do under these circumstances."

"You have a point, Brother. Let's go."

The twins led the horses to where the Pegasus lay. With Tana's help, they carefully helped him climb up onto their backs. They paused, making sure that Achaeus was as comfortable as possible.

"All right, let's get moving," Ephraim said.

He and Eirika led the horses by the reins, making sure they remained aligned as they moved. They moved slowly, but surely, as Tana walked alongside them, watching Achaeus carefully and petting his head.

"Hold on, Achaeus. We'll get you some help."

* * *

Saleh, Gerik, and Ewan had fled quite a distance from Jehanna, but unfortunately, they had been steered in the opposite direction from Darkling Woods, thanks to the citizens hindering their journey. Now they were taking a rest in a clearing of a thick forest. They sat quietly, not quite in a mood to socialize, but Gerik always tried regardless. He glanced over at Saleh, who sat quite still, even for an average person. However, Gerik knew that Saleh was far from the average person, and thus knew exactly what he was doing.

Gerik let out an exasperated sigh. "Sometimes I envy that man. He can just be off in his own little world anytime he wants to."

"That's not what Valega's about," Ewan told him. "It's about being at peace with the world you're in, even a big scary world like this one."

"Ha ha ha! I wonder..." Gerik wondered which scary world he was referring to. Was he referring to the situation that they were currently embroiled in, or was it an exaggeration of the everyday challenges of a peaceful world? Gerik quickly shook off the thought in favor of calling out to the sage. "Hey, Saleh! What are you contemplating over there?"

"Hmm?" Saleh broke his contemplation and glanced at his friend. "Oh...I was just thinking about what happened in the marketplace."

"I'm sorry, Teacher..." Ewan said, on the verge of tears.

"You don't have to apologize, Ewan," Saleh said. "But Marisa..."

Gerik sat nearby, shaking his head. 'That girl's gone crazy. I mean, she's always had a bit of a temper, but she's never drawn her blade on an ally."

"It wasn't just Marisa!" Ewan added. "Even Tethys tried to strangle me! And Saleh, too!"

"Seriously!?" Gerik's eyes widened, genuinely surprised. He'd never imagine Tethys hurting anyone, least of all her own brother, whom she'd raised since he was a baby. Especially since Tethys was a noncombatant. "Then something really weird is happening around here."

"Hmm..." Saleh fell silent, contemplating about the fog they had seen from the mountains. There had been something eerie about it.

Gerik glanced over at the sage, seemingly reading his thoughts. "Do you think that strange fog had something to do with it?"

"It's too coincidental," Saleh said. "Everything was fine beforehand, and now..."

"So if that fog was everywhere, does that mean that everyone is going to attack us?" Ewan asked. "If so, then we're in big trouble."

"That's the understatement of the year," Gerik remarked.

"If the fog has spread everywhere, then the people of Caer Pelyn may very well be the only ones who were unaffected," Saleh continued. "Even with the knowledge that the fog is responsible for the change in demeanor, we have no course of action before us. Darkling Woods will be much harder to reach with the population attacking us..."

Suddenly, the nearby bushes began to rustle, as though an animal were running through them. The three jumped to their feet, assuming their defensive stances.

Ewan gulped. "Uh-oh..."

A small, indigo-haired girl burst out from the bushes, running straight towards Saleh. She ran right into him and embraced him, panting to catch her breath.

Saleh's eyes widened as he placed an arm around her. "Lady Myrrh!"

Myrrh pulled back to look at him. "Saleh! I'm glad I found you!"

"But why are you out here?"

"I was on my way to find you! I must warn you! Something is happening! Something terrible!"

Saleh and Gerik exchanged concerned glances. It was just as Saleh had feared; if the Great Dragon had to get involved, it could only mean one thing.

"What is it?" Saleh asked, returning his attention to the girl.

"There's...no time to explain," Myrrh said. "People are after me. They're coming this way with torches and pitchforks."

Saleh and Gerik glanced at each other again.

"We'd better get out of here and find some shelter," Gerik said.

Saleh looked around, just now noticing that the sunlight was quickly fading. "You're right. It's getting dark. We should leave quickly but quietly."

Gerik and Ewan nodded silently. Together, the foursome began to sneak out of the clearing.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Although the sun has set, giving way to nightfall, Ephraim, Eirika, and Tana were still on the move. Ephraim led the way, carrying a makeshift torch made from a collection of thick branches with a cloth wrapped around the head. It was a poor substitute at best, but it would do for now.

Although the woods seemed lifeless, there was plenty of noises to be heard, such as chirping crickets and howling wolves.

"Ephraim...I'm scared..." Tana whispered. "How much longer are we going to keep moving?"

"Not much longer," Ephraim assured her. "If we can't find some shelter, we'll have to sleep out here, I suppose..."

He moved a little farther. His eyes squinted as he spotted something ahead. He picked up his steps, moving ahead of his companions to get a closer look.

"It looks like there's a house up ahead."

"Really?" Eirika asked as she and Tana moved to join him. "Out here in the middle of nowhere?"

Ephraim approached wooden house, which appeared to have been abandoned. He waved the torch in front of it, thoroughly examining its condition.

"It looks a little run-down, but it's as good a place as any to hole up for tonight." Ephraim handed the torch to Eirika. "Wait here, I'll make sure it's safe."

"Be careful, Ephraim..." Tana whispered.

Ephraim held hiss lance in his hand as he approached the front door of the house. As he turned the knob and pushed, the door creaked open loudly.

He had only taken a few steps inside when a strong hand suddenly seized him by the neck, causing him to drop his lance. Ephraim squirmed as he was slammed into the wall.

"Ephraim!" Eirika and Tana cried out as they rushed to his aid.

Eirika held out her torch to try to identify Ephraim's attacker, but it was still too dark to really see.

"Gerik, stop!" a young girl's voice cried.

The strong hand stopped, but still kept a firm grip on the prince.

Ephraim froze as well, instantly recognizing the voice. "Myrrh?"

Thanks to Eirika's torch, he could now see that the one attacking him was Gerik.

Saleh entered from one of the back rooms, a fireball in his own hand to light the way. He walked up to Gerik's side, studying Ephraim's strained facial expression.

"It's all right, Gerik," he said. "You may release him."

"All right." Gerik released Ephraim and stepped back. "We thought you'd gone crazy like everyone else. Sorry 'bout that."

"Master Saleh..." Eirika said. "It's good to see you again."

"Princess Eirika," Saleh nodded towards her. "It is good to see you as well. And you, Princess Tana."

"So you're aware of what is happening?" Eirika asked.

"Yes, Lady Myrrh was about to explain it to us."

"Wait!" Tana interjected. "Master Saleh, you're a healer, aren't you?"

"I am," Saleh responded.

"My Pegasus is injured! Can you help him?"

"Of course. Is he outside?"

"Yes, he's out here..."

Tana led the group outside, where the Pegasus was still strewn across the two horses.

"Wow..." Ewan said grimly. "You just left the arrow stuck in him?"

"We couldn't bring ourselves to pull it out and risk making the injury worse," Ephraim told him.

"That's the thing about these arrows," Gerik added. "They're designed to cause damage, not only when they pierce the flesh, but also when you try to pull them out."

Saleh shook his head. "It'll have to come out for the healing magic to do any good. Go ahead and do it. Any additional injury can be healed. That is, if it's all right with you, Princess Tana..."

"Yes, please!" Tana said. "I can't bear to see him suffer any longer!"

"Al right, leave this to me." Gerik approached the Pegasus, preparing himself for the job. "You may want to steady him though, as this can be quite painful."

"Right..." Tana moved to take Achaeus's head gently into her hands, stroking him. "I'm ready."

"Here goes..." Gerik grasped the arrow, gently wrenching it, while pressing his fingers into the skin near the wound. Achaeus's head jerked up as he cried out in pain. Tana continued to hold his head, stroking him tenderly.

Gerik repeated the procedure for a few moments and, with a final press on the skin and a yank on the arrow, he succeeded in pulling it out. "I've got it!"

"Good work." Saleh moved in to heal the Pegasus with his staff. "There, that should take care of it."

When Tana released him, Achaeus pulled himself up and off the horses. He then went to nuzzle his head against her.

"Don't thank me, silly!" Tana giggled. "Thank Master Saleh!"

The Pegasus turned and approached Saleh. He stretched out his wings and lowered its head. Saleh stepped back nervously as Achaeus nudged him with its head. Saleh staggered back at the nudge, tripping over the edge of a wheelbarrow and falling inside. Tana, Ewan, and Gerik giggled.

"Y-You're welcome..." Saleh stammered.

"Saleh, don't tell me you're afraid of a flying horse!" Gerik said.

Saleh squirmed inside the wheelbarrow, unable to hoist his weight out. He reached out with a hand for assistance. "I'm not..."

Gerik stepped forward, taking his hand and pulling him out.

"Thank you," Saleh said. "Now we should get inside before something happens."

The group nodded and followed him into the house, and then they closed the door quietly. Saleh led them into what appeared to be a dining room, with a large table and chairs in the center. There was a fireplace on the back wall, where Eirika tossed her torch, lighting up the fire. Then the group sat at the table, waiting to hear the news.

"Now, can someone tell us what's going on?" Ephraim asked.

"Mhm." Saleh nodded with a thoughtful hum. "As you're aware, the population has had an inexplicable change in demeanor, and has begun to attack us without hesitation or mercy. We suspected it had something to do with the strange fog that Gerik and I saw blanketing the land. It was only visible for a short while, but we're almost certain that it was the cause of all this. Fortunately, the fog did not reach us at the height of the Caer Pelyn range."

"Wait, fog?" Ephraim asked. "I didn't see any fog. Did you?"

He looked at Eirika, who simply shook her head silently, looking just as puzzled.

"I saw that fog, too, as I was flying to Renais," Tana said. "Achaeus and I flew away to avoid it."

"That fog was part of the energy I sensed from Darkling Woods," Myrrh said. "It was just like the energy we had felt from the south one year ago. Only this time it's much worse. This time it's coming from Renais."

"From Renais...?" Eirika asked, a soft fear in her voice.

"The energy you felt from Grado turned out to be from the Demon King," Ephraim recalled. "And after we resealed his soul in the final Sacred Stone, we kept it in the secret chamber beneath Renais Castle. So this has to mean..."

Gerik's eyes widened. "No way! Are you saying that the Demon King is back!?"

"But how!?" Ewan exclaimed. "We destroyed his body! He should never have been able to come back!"

"We destroyed his body, yes..." Saleh pointed out. "But his soul still lives. I suspect that he was somehow able to unleash his power from within his prison."

"So how do we stop him?" Tana asked. "He's already imprisoned..."

"The Demon King tried to destroy the Sacred Stones to prevent us from resealing him," Ephraim said. "But what would happen if we destroyed the last stone while he's trapped inside?"

"I don't know..." Myrrh replied. "He could either be trapped forever, or it could very well set him free. But...I cannot be certain."

The room fell silent for a moment as everyone tried to speculate, but no one could be certain of the result.

Saleh shook his head, breaking the silence. "That's not a risk I'm willing to take. Not until we learn the truth. We'll need to do some research."

"Ugh...research..." Ephraim buried his head into his hands, feeling a headache from the very idea of studying.

"Ephraim, you learned some things from your march to Grado last year," Eirika said. ""About how the war started, and about what happened to Lyon."

"Hmm..." Ephraim pondered, trying to recall the details he had learned. "As I recall it, Lyon tried to use Grado's Sacred Stone to resurrect his father, who had died a year before the war began. Because the Demon King was sealed inside it, it was more powerful than the other Sacred Stones. So in a sense, Lyon was trying to use the Demon King's power to resurrect Vigarde."

"Is that when the Demon King took over his body?" Ewan asked.

"Yes," Ephraim told him. "He possessed Lyon's body, and then controlled Vigarde's corpse like a puppet. That corpse, under the Demon King's control, originally ordered the invasion of Renais."

"Like a puppet?" Tana asked. "That's horrible."

Ephraim stared down at the table in front of him. "I was blinded with rage to see it at the time, but now I remember clearly. When I faced Vigarde in Grado Keep, his face was...completely blank. He said nothing at all."

"Just like our friends..." Saleh said. "The people who attacked us...their faces were completely void of emotion, and they refused to speak. They paid no heed to our pleas to stop."

"You mean that the Demon King has turned the entire population into his puppets?" Gerik interjected. "This is _nuts_!"

"Yes..." Myrrh said. "I felt the evil energy inside of those people, robbing them of all emotions. Although they are not dead...the Demon King still guides their actions. Once he has a hold of them...there's nothing that can be done. Their souls will be lost forever, like Prince Lyon was. The only ones unaffected by the taint may well be in this very room."

The entire room fell silent as the group glanced at each other. Last year, all of the nations had banded together to deal with the threat. Now, seven people had the whole of Magvel against them.

"So that's it?" Ephraim asked. "We're just going to roll over and die?"

The silence became deafening as Ephraim's words seemed to hang in the air.

"Well, I refuse," the prince continued. "If I must die, then I will die fighting. I'm sorry, Myrrh, but I refuse to believe that there's no way to save everyone. The only way to save Lyon was to kill him, but there's no way that I'm going to kill the entire population! There has to be another way!"

"You don't have to apologize," Myrrh assured him. "If you truly believe that there is a way, then I will have faith in you. I will do what I can to help you."

"As will I," Eirika added.

"All right, I'm in," Gerik said. "We still fight for the good times, and for the better times."

"I will fight as well," Saleh said. "If we are Magvel's only hope, then we must act as such."

"I'll fight, too!" Ewan said. "I won't let anyone down!"

"I'm ready!" Tana said. "Or at least, as ready as I'll ever be. I'll do the best I can!"

Ephraim nodded, pleased that everyone was in agreement. "Then it's settled. Let's go." He started to get up from the table.

"So...what are we doing?" Ewan suddenly interrupted.

Ephraim paused, settling back into his seat again. They had been hyped up on taking action without really deciding on what actions to take.

"Well...first, we'll need to pick up the last Sacred Stone...and then we'll need to find more information about the Demon King's power. Lyon and his mages had been studying the Sacred Stone in Grado. Maybe we can find some records there."

Gerik shrugged. "Well, it's as good a plan as any, I suppose."

"Indeed," Saleh agreed. Any course of action at this point would be a good start. "For now, we should get some sleep. I don't know if this house has enough beds for everyone, so we may have to make some adjustments."

"I don't need a bed," Gerik said. "I'll sleep on the floor if I have to."

"We should also take turns standing guard in case something happens," Ephraim suggested.

"That's a good idea," Eirika said.

"Um...Ephraim...I'll take the first watch," Myrrh said.

Ephraim looked down at her, concerned. "Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine. But you...you must be exhausted. Please..."

"Oh...I can never refuse you anything," Ephraim shrugged. "All right...good night, everyone. I'll see you all in the morning."

"Let's hope so..." Ewan whispered softly.

Myrrh remained in the living room while the others spread out throughout the house to make their sleeping arrangements.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning came far too quickly. At the first sign of sunlight, Ephraim and company left the little house in the big woods. The Renais twins rode their horses, while Tana rode aground on her pegasus. The rest of the group traveled on foot, as they had since they left Caer Pelyn.

Gerik moved up to walk alongside Ephraim. "Are you sure about going to Renais?" he asked. "You'll have to fight your own soldiers. I know it was a bit shock when they attacked out of nowhere, but now that we're expecting it...you don't really have to go in."

"I'll be fine," Ephraim assured him. "I know what I must do. Besides, the vault that keeps the Sacred Stone can only be opened with the bracelets that Eirika and I wear. But I appreciate your concern."

Actually, this bothered Ephraim more than he was letting on. The memories from last year came flooding back, when he had expressed those same concerns to General Duessel. It was just now that Ephraim began to get an inkling of what Duessel had felt, when his own soldiers pursued him, when his own emperor had ordered his execution, and when his own colleague, Selena Flourspar, carried out the order without hesitation. It was no wonder that Duessel had felt the way he did. But Ephraim could not let those feelings hinder him. He needed to follow his own advice that he had given to Duessel back then. He was fighting for something important. Perhaps even more so now."

"Okay, I get that," Gerik said. "But are you sure about getting the stone? If Prince Lyon was possessed from messing with it..."

"We're just going to pick it up," Ephraim cut him off. "We're not going to mess with it. Not until we know what we're going to do with it, anyway."

Gerik nodded. "Gotcha."

The rest of the journey to Renais was uneventful, much to the heroes' relief. Ephraim guided them to the rear of the castle rather than the front entrance.

"Now that I think about it," he said, "the castle wasn't very well guarded when we returned. But we still can't risk going through the main entrance. We'll try to avoid combat with the soldiers if we can."

"Sounds like a good idea," Gerik said. "But who'd have thought these castles would have a secret passageway?"

"We built it after the war last year," Ephraim said. "We can use it to escape in an emergency."

"When Grado invaded Renais, we had to break through the enemy forces to escape, and Seth got injured in the process," Eirika added.

"I get it!" Ewan exclaimed. "If you get attacked again, you can just sneak out through the passageway!"

"That's right," Ephraim replied. "Come, follow me."

Walking up to the wall, he pressed on it, causing it to slide out and then to the side. Ephraim led the group inside and through a long, dark tunnel.

"It's so dark in here..." Tana remarked.

"Yes, we haven't gotten around to adding the torches yet," Ephraim said. "But it's pretty straight, so they're not really needed. Not when entering, anyway. The other downside is that we won't be able to reach the horses...but then again, the idea is to escape quietly, and the horses may make too much noise."

The corridor led to the castle library. From there, the Renais twins led the way to the room where the vault keeping the Sacred Stone was located. Ephraim and Eirika stood in front of the seal.

"Eirika, are you ready?" Ephraim asked.

"Yes, Brother," Eirika replied.

The twins raised their bracelets into the air. The bracelets glowed, and the seal door glowed in reaction. The door began to slide open.

"There it is," Eirika said. "Now let's go get the stone!"

"We'll go," Ephraim told her. "The rest of you stay here and keep an eye out for anything that happens."

Gerik nodded. "Got it."

The Renais twins entered the vault, descending down a long flight of stairs.

"It shouldn't take that long," Saleh remarked. "We'll be prepared to leave as quickly as possible when they return."

The others nodded.

"Um...Saleh?" Myrrh called nervously.

"Hmm?" Saleh turned to glance at her, and in doing so, caught a glimpse of the movement in the distance. Walking towards them was Seth. He strode towards them in a calm, steady pace. When he stepped food into the room, he drew his sword, pointing it at them.

"I'll handle this," Gerik said, drawing his own sword to meet the challenge.

"He's the Silver Knight..." Ewan said quietly. "He's gonna be tough."

"Yeah, but I'm the Desert Tiger," Gerik pointed out. "So _I'm_ gonna be tough."

"Be careful, Gerik," Saleh warned. "We'll cover you."

He held the ends of his staff in his hands in a defensive stance. Tana, Ewan, and Myrrh stood near the walls of the room, also in similar defensive stances.

Gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands, Seth took a massive horizontal swing. Gerik blocked the blade with his own, but Seth continued relentlessly, swinging his sword. The other heroes flinched, watching as Gerik and Seth continued to meet with the fierce clashing of blades.

Ephraim and Eirika finally reached the room where the Sacred Stone was kept. Even with the Demon King inside, the stone still radiated with its dazzling light.

"There it is..." Eirika said. "It's just as beautiful as I remember."

"Yeah...but there's no time to stand and admire it."

Ephraim approached the stone and carefully picked it up. Suddenly, a burst of energy erupted from the stone, knocking him flat on his back.

"Ephraim!" Eirika gasped as she knelt down beside him. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"Ugh..." Ephraim sat up, glaring at the stone in his hand. "I'm fine. Just...a little stunned is all. Let's go. We got what we came for; we shouldn't tarry here any longer."

They stood up and started to leave, but after a few steps, Ephraim's vision began to spin. He lost his balance, stumbling and collapsing to his knees.

Eirika moved to support him again. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Ephraim paused, a vacant expression on his face. "I'll be fine. Maybe...if I just sit still for a moment...it'll pass..."

"All right..." Eirika relaxed on the floor next to him. "I hope the others are okay up there..."

"I'm sure they're fine," Ephraim said abruptly, but tiredly. "They're tough. They have the Desert Tiger up there..."

_The Desert Tiger..._ The title rather bitterly crossed his mind.

Nevertheless, Ephraim continued. "The mountain sage...the Dragonkin..." He glanced over at Eirika. "We have quite a team, don't we?"

"Indeed..." Eirika couldn't help but smile at that. "Quite a team..."

"Yaaahh!" Gerik yelled as he swung his sword overhead towards Seth. The Silver Knight raised his sword to block it, and the two blades became locked in a struggle to overcome one another.

Meanwhile, Gerik's companions watched intently, wanting to help, but not wanting to get in the way.

"Come on, come on..." Ewan cheered quickly, shaking his fists.

Myrrh clasped her hands together timidly with an audible gulp.

Without warning, Seth pressed his food into Gerik's gut, knocking him to the floor. Instead of advancing with his sword, however, Seth picked up a large white vase and raised it overhead.

_Oh shit!_ Gerik thought as he quickly rolled out of the way, just barely avoiding the vase that smashed onto the floor beside him.

Before he could get up, Seth jumped onto his back, clinging tightly. Gerik struggled to get him off, but Seth only tightened his hold, slowly bringing himself closer. Baring his teeth, Seth bit down hard on Gerik's ear, causing it to bleed. The Desert Tiger roared in pain.

"Eww!" Tana screamed, cringing at the sight. Ewan and Myrrh couldn't bring themselves to watch either.

"Gerik!" Saleh started to move in to help him, but a flash of light caught his attention, freezing him in his tracks. Everyone looked over towards the vault, where Ephraim stood, holding the Sacred Stone, glowing brightly in his hand. Eirika stood beside him. Without a word, his face expressionless, Ephraim slowly began to step forward towards Seth. The glow of the stone seemed to repel the Silver Knight, as he jumped up, releasing Gerik. He backed away, shielding his face with his arms before turning and running out of the room.

"Arrrgh!" Gerik groaned as he picked himself up, covering his ear with one hand, while blood trickled down between his fingers. "I can't feel my ear...I think he ripped it off!"

"Let me see..." Saleh gently pulled Gerik's hand away. Luckily, his ear hadn't been ripped off. "No, it's still there. Here..."

He brought the orb of his staff towards Gerik's ear, healing it. Within seconds, Gerik felt the pain fading away.

"Whew, thanks! Don't know what I'd do without you."

Now the group turned their attention to Ephraim.

"You got the stone?" Ewan asked, excited.

"Yes. Here it is." Still expressionless, Ephraim held the stone out for everyone to behold.

"Wow..." Ewan gazed at its dazzling light before he frowned suddenly. "The last Sacred Stone. I can't believe it..."

Everyone else stared at the stone with a similar frown. The Sacred Stone that had once repelled evil was now the source of their troubles.

"All right, we got what we came for," Ephraim said, tucking the stone away in his pouch. "Were we heading to Grado Keep next?"

"Yes," Saleh said, "to research the notes from Prince Lyon's studies. From there...hopefully we'll have a solution."

Gerik gave an exasperated sigh. "It still feels like we're up the creek without a paddle. But fine, let's go."

The group nodded in agreement and began to leave the castle.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The heroes arrived at Grado Keep, looking up at the massive castle. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful, with a soft breeze blowing. Nothing more. No guards patrolling the castle perimeter, no signs of life at all. It was rather unsettling for the group.

"Huh...I thought there'd be soldiers on patrol or something," Gerik remarked.

"There's no one here..." Myrrh said. "I can't sense a thing."

"Perfect. Let's take advantage of it and go inside." Without waiting for a response from the others, Gerik began to move towards the main gate.

Myrrh watched him nervously. "I...I have a bad feeling about this. It could be a trap..."

"We've no other options before us," Saleh told her. "If something happens, we'll deal with it."

Myrrh smiled slightly. "I know you will. It's...reassuring to hear that."

The group walked a ways down the corridors. Long and winding, the interior of Grado Keep was more complex than the main castles of the other continents. It made sense, given that Grado was the largest nation in Magvel.

"Wow...I'd forgotten how complex this place was," Gerik said. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"There has to be a library or a study hall somewhere..." Saleh said.

Ephraim nodded. "From what I remember, Lyon conducted his studies in the lower levels. Knoll told us everything after we found him in the dungeon."

Ewan snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah! Knoll was one of Prince Lyon's top researchers, wasn't he?"

"Well, I guess we'll head for the lower levels then," Saleh said. "We should do like before, and leave the rest here to secure our escape route, or warn us of any danger."

"Right," Gerik agreed. "We'll wait right here for ya."

"Let's go, Ewan." Saleh headed down the corridor, then took the door leading to the lower level of the castle, with Ewan faithfully at his side.

Ephraim watched the pair leave, waiting until they were out of sight. "I'm going to do a quick survey of the rest of the castle. I'll be back shortly."

As he began to leave, Eirika moved to catch up with him. "Let me come with you!"

"No," Ephraim said abruptly. "You stay with the others. If something happens, I'm counting on you to lead everyone to safety."

Eirika stepped back, somewhat startled and disappointed. "All right, Brother...if you say so..."

"Um...Ephraim..." Myrrh approached him carefully. "...May I go with you?"

Ephraim paused, fixing her with a long stare for responding. "All right. You may come."

With that, he left the corridor, entering one of the rooms at random with Myrrh in tow. Eirika watched him, confused. Why would he let Myrrh follow him, and not her? But then again, his reason made sense. Myrrh was never one to be a leader figure. Eirika had her experience with leadership already. Now it was just Eirika, Tana, and Gerik waiting in the corridor.

"Don't worry, ladies," Gerik said. "I've got you covered."

Tana couldn't help but giggle. "Thank you, Commander Gerik."

* * *

Saleh and Ewan pushed a door open and stepped into a room, where tall shelves lined the walls, stuffed with hardback books.

"Here it is!" Ewan said. "Wow, we've got a lot of books to go through."

"We need not read all of them," Saleh told him. "There should be only one or two that would best match our interests. I'll start over here, and you look through that shelf."

"Okay!"

Ewan ran to the back wall, while Saleh went to the shelf on the right. Saleh pulled out a few books, skimming over a few pages before deciding they were irrelevant and putting them back. A few more books later, he found one with some notes regarding the Sacred Stones research.

"Ah, this one will do..."

He took that book to the table in the center of the room and began to read it more thoroughly.

"Let's see..." Ewan picked out a book and scanned a page or two. "Nope!" He tossed it over his shoulder and then picked out another one. "How about this one? Nope!" He tossed that one over his shoulder as well. "Hmm...nope!" Yet another book flew over his shoulder.

Saleh continued to study his book, painfully aware of the books that were plopping on the floor around him, but doing his best to ignore them. That is, until a book hit him in the back of the head. Saleh simply set his book down and glanced back.

"Ewan, enough!"

Ewan gulped. Before long, most of the books had been emptied from the shelf and were now scattered about on the floor. "Sorry..."

Saleh just shook his head. "Never mind. Have you found anything?"

"Um..." Ewan picked up one of the last remaining books on the shelf and skimmed through it. "Oh, here's something written by Knoll!"

"All right, bring it over here, and we'll look through it."

Ewan closed the book, then took a peek at the crevice behind the shelf. "I think I see something back here."

"What is it?"

"Um...I can't tell..."

"Then we shouldn't worry about it. Let's continue."

"Right!" Ewan went to join Saleh at the table. "What did you find, Teacher?"

"It looks like Prince Lyon's journal," Saleh said. "He's reflected on his studies, and his feelings regarding his responsibility, and his father's death. Grado's Sacred Stone had the Demon King's soul imprisoned within it, so Prince Lyon wanted to use his power to resurrect his father."

Ewan read through some pages of his own book. "It says here that the dark mages were able to see some ripples in time and see the future! Wow, that was cool!"

Saleh raised an eye. "Really?"

"Yeah, check it out!" Ewan handed him the open book.

"Hmm..." Saleh took the book while pushing Lyon's journal towards his pupil.

_We have tried to disprove the visions we have seen, but the more we try, the more vivid the visions become. Prince Lyon believes we can use the Sacred Stone to stop this catastrophe, or at least evacuate the citizens to safety. As much as I would like to help, I cannot help but feel these misgivings. Meddling with the Sacred Stone's power could have consequences that may be far worse. We will proceed anyway. Somehow, venturing into the unknown always intrigues me. I just pray that we will be successful._

_- Knoll_

Saleh merely shook his head upon reading the entry.

"This is really sad," Ewan said as he looked over Lyon's journal.

_I just can't do it. I'm not worthy of being Grado's ruler. I'm not strong like Eirika or Ephraim. I need you, Father. I'll bring you back again. We can use the Sacred Stone's power to revive you. It will work out. Right, Father?_

_- Lyon_

"Prince Lyon truly felt powerless without his father," Saleh remarked. "But I am curious about this catastrophe that Knoll spoke of."

"Wasn't there a huge earthquake in Grado after the war?" Ewan asked. "Maybe that's what he was talking about. Did he really see that happening before it actually happened?"

"Apparently so..." Saleh read on in Knoll's journal.

_While we thank the gods that the Demon King has been defeated, the catastrophe that we have foreseen has occurred. Many say it is our divine punishment for meddling with the forbidden power of the Sacred Stone. They may be right, but...was this war not punishment enough? With both the emperor and the prince gone, Grado has no ruler. There is nothing left for me anymore. I will do what I can to restore Grado and then...I will be gone...forever._

_- Knoll_

"Knoll..." Saleh paused, curious about Knoll's fate, but almost certain that it was a tragic one.

"Whoa..." Ewan read yet another page of Lyon's journal. "This page is almost creepy."

He turned it around for Saleh to see. One thing Saleh noticed was that, not only was the writing much bolder than the previous pages, but it also did not have Lyon's signature at the end.

_It is done. My father lives again, the Dark Stone is created, and Grado's Sacred Stone has been destroyed. Now to begin the next phase, the invasion of Renais, followed by the other continents. All of the Sacred Stones will be destroyed, the nations conquered. All of Magvel will be mine to rule. First Magvel, and then the entire world!_

_Ha ha ha!_

Saleh frowned. "That was not Prince Lyon writing..."

"It's the Demon King's writing, isn't it?" Ewan asked.

"Indeed."

"Okay, so...how are we going to stop him?"

"Hmm..." Saleh pondered for a moment. "Sealing him away was not enough to end his threat. We should have learned that last time."

"Right. We thought that destroying his body would do it. But it didn't. So now what?"

Saleh sighed. There was only one more method he could think of. "Banishment."

Ewan blinked. "Banishment?"

"If we could banish him to another time, another place...we may be able to be rid of him for good. Perhaps if we could expand on these time ripples that Knoll spoke of..."

"So we can send him through time?"

"Hopefully not just through time, but into a dimension far separate from our own."

Ewan twisted his mouth. "That's going to be tricky. Knoll was experienced with dark magic, and he said he could only read the ripples, and that's it. I've studied a bit of dark magic myself, and you can do a lot of scary things with it."

Saleh raised an eye at him. "You've practiced with dark magic?"

"Oops..." Ewan giggled sheepishly, embarrassed that he'd let the cat out of the bag without even realizing it. "Only a little...you're not mad, are you?"

"Of course not. I was surprised is all. What you study is your choice. It is not my right to dictate the path you choose."

"Ah, okay. You know what, Teacher? You're awesome! I love all these moments where we can just study together and talk about magic."

Saleh smiled slightly. "Indeed. We must make the most of these moments, especially in times like these."

"So...how do we banish the Demon King?" Ewan asked, getting back to business. "Is there a spell or something?"

"There must be..." Saleh said.

However, as he flipped over Knoll's journal, he caught sight of a scroll that has been slipped inside the back cover. Curious, Saleh pulled it out and read the incantation. Sure enough, it was a spell to open a portal to the abyss. Preceding the incantation was a letter of sorts.

_To whomever holds this scroll:_

_While our efforts to seal away the Demon King have been successful, we are almost certain that he will return one day. This scroll has been written as a more permanent solution to end his thread forever. However, none of us are able to utilize it. It requires a person of great power, far beyond our capability. It is my hope that those of you in the distant future will reach that level of power. It is an even greater hope that you will have no need of this scroll. But if you do, I wish you the best of luck. We will be watching you from the afterlife._

_- Grado_

"Ah...this is it. This is what we need."

"So we got it?" Ewan asked.

"Yes...though apparently it takes great power to use."

"Well, we have nothing to worry about then. You're powerful enough to get it to work!"

Saleh shook his head. He hadn't seen himself as anything special compared to anyone else. Ewan had always been incredibly biased towards him. What Saleh saw in Ewan, however, was far greater.

"I'm not so sure about that..." Saleh said.

"What do you mean?" Ewan asked.

"Do you remember why I agreed to teach you magic? You have always had an incredible potential. I believe...that you may have surpassed me already."

"Me? Really? Do you believe that, Teacher?"

"Yes. If anyone among us can cast this spell, it will be you."

Ewan moved closer, looking at the gibberish text. "Wow...it looks tough. I don't know if I can do it...or if I'm really powerful enough..."

"All we would ask is that you try. If it doesn't work, we'll find another way."

Saleh and Ewan got up, taking the scroll and both journals with them, and leaving the study hall.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ephraim led the way down the empty hall as Myrrh trailed behind him nervously. Somehow, the young dragonkin had the feeling that something was wrong. But the question was, what?

Ephraim turned suddenly, walking through a random door, leading to a bedroom.

"This seems as good a place as any," he remarked.

Myrrh glanced around, studying the room carefully. Other than being a gorgeous bedroom, she couldn't see anything significant. "To do what?" she asked lightly.

Without a word, Ephraim sat on the floor. He brought out the Sacred Stone, gazing at it longingly, stroking its surface slowly with his thumb.

"Ephraim...?" Myrrh was growing more worried by the second.

Another few moments of this passed by without a word from the Renais prince. Eventually he held the stone closer, bringing his other hand on top of it. And then he began to press his hands together, crushing the stone between them. Myrrh's eyes widened as she watched the powder sprinkle from between Ephraim's hands. When Ephraim opened his hands, nothing was left of the stone but a fine line of dust, which he brushed his hands together to clean off.

"Ephraim..." Myrrh's eyes were still wide. "Wh-Why did you do that...?"

Ephraim finally answered her. "We've no need of that chunk of rock. The Sacred Stones serve no purpose now."

"What do you mean? How are we supposed to...?"

"The only stone I need is the Dark Stone. If memory serves, it should be right where Lyon left it."

Myrrh fell silent. She found two things odd about his words. His sudden need for the Dark Stone, and the fact that he said "I," and not "we." Additionally, she had felt the energy from him from the moment he had crushed the stone. A strong surge of dark energy, stronger than what she had sensed from everyone else under the evil influence so far. Upon realizing this, she began to back away slowly, her knees trembling.

Ephraim glanced back at her and then stood up to face her. He looked down upon her, his face expressionless, with no concern for her fear.

"What's wrong, Myrrh?" he asked softly, almost taunting. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Myrrh continued to back up. "You're..."

She couldn't bring herself to say it. _I have to tell the others_, she thought.

So she turned on her heels and dashed out of the room as fast as she could.

Ephraim didn't pursue right away. Instead he brought his fingers to his temple and closed his eyes, concentrating for a moment. When that moment passed, Ephraim opened his eyes, smirking, and then calmly left the room.

* * *

Eirika, Tana, and Gerik were still sitting in the corridor, wringing their hands when Saleh and Ewan returned.

"Hey, guess what!?" Ewan called excitedly.

Tana perked up. "Did you find something!?"

"Yeah, check this out!" Ewan waved the scroll for everyone to see. "It's a spell to banish the Demon King! All we have to do is use the Sacred Stone and recite the incantation, and he's – BAM – outta here!"

"All right!" Gerik couldn't help but laugh at Ewan's excitement.

Saleh, however, was frowning. "Where's Lady Myrrh?"

"Ah, she went for a walk with Prince Ephraim," Gerik told him. "She's fine."

But right at that moment, Myrrh burst out through the door in a panic, running over to Eirika and nearly collapsing on her, panting. "Mistress Eirika!"

"Myrrh? What is it?" Eirika asked, steadying her.

"It's Ephraim! He's...he's..."

The others shot nervous glances at one another. They already sensed the urgency in Myrrh's voice. Had Ephraim become brainwashed like everyone else?

Before Myrrh could explain further, Ephraim emerged from the same door.

"Everyone, you'd better get out of here. This castle will be under attack soon."

"Soon...?" Gerik asked.

Unless the castle was already surrounded, there was no way to know that.

Saleh fixed Ephraim with a look. "How do you know this?"

Ephraim's face suddenly darkened. "Because I summoned them here."

"What?"

"You poor fools. Did you honestly think you could win? The Sacred Stone is no more. You've already lost."

"Ephraim!" Eirika cried out, in shock. "What is the..."

"It's what I was trying to say..." Myrrh said. "Ephraim...he's been possessed by the Demon King."

"No!" Eirika ran over to Ephraim, throwing her hands on his shoulders, fighting tears. "Brother! Please tell me it's not true!"

She prayed that it was just a really bad joke, or a horrible nightmare that she would wake up from.

Ephraim averted his gaze for a moment. "I could..." But then he fixed his dark gaze on Eirika. "But that would be a lie!"

With a wide upward sweep of his arm, he threw Eirika's hands off his shoulders.

"No!" Eirika stood in complete shock, trembling, her defenses completely dropped.

Taking advantage of her vulnerable state, Ephraim stepped forward, throwing a hard kick to Eirika's gut, strong enough to send her flying back about ten feet. When she crashed on the ground, the others huddled around her. Gerik stood in front of the group, whipping out his sword in a more offensive pose.

Ephraim straightened himself, letting out a proud laugh. But it was not in his own voice. It was the voice of the Demon King himself. The prince vanished from the corridor, the Demon King's laughter echoing off the walls, making the heroes' blood run cold.

"Great Dragon..." Saleh muttered softly.

"Unbelievable..." Gerik added. "He took him right out from under our noses!"

Eirika was still hunched over on the floor, shaking and sobbing. "No..."

Tana tried her best to comfort her, massaging her shoulders and whispering to her.

"I don't know about you guys," Gerik said, "but I say we get the hell out of here now."

"I agree," Saleh said. "Let's go."

"Come on..." Tana shook Eirika gently, trying to help her up. Eirika pulled herself together and stood.

The group ran as fast as they could towards the main entrance, but upon setting foot outside, they came to a screeching halt. A whole army of red armored soldiers surrounded them.

"Uh-oh, busted..." Ewan muttered.

"Out of our way!" Gerik immediately went on the attack, swinging his sword at the soldiers on horseback.

"Gerik!" Saleh called, disappointed in such a reckless move. He gestured for Ewan and Myrrh to stay back, and they immediately complied, huddling together in the entranceway.

More soldiers moved in to attack; Tana and Eirika stepped out to fend them off. Saleh hung back in front of Ewan and Myrrh, waiting to provide offensive and healing support. As he watched, he could quickly see that this was a hopeless battle. There was no way the group could break through the army like this.

But then he had an idea. He recalled Ewan spotting something behind the shelf in the study hall. He couldn't think of anything that would be hidden behind a shelf except...perhaps a secret exit?

Saleh brought out his Elfire tome and cast his spell, laughing a large fireball that exploded in a pillar of dancing flames. The spell worked not only to take down some of the soldiers, but also grab his allies' attention.

"Everyone, back inside!" he called out.

Ewan and Myrrh turned and fled back into the castle. Eirika and Tana disengaged from their own battles and followed. The soldiers moved in to attempt to stop them, but Gerik twirled his sword in their direction to intimidate them and ward them off. Saleh launched a blast of lightning with his Thunder tome to stall the soldiers even more as the last pair entered the castle, slammed the door shut, and locked it. It wasn't long before the soldiers started pounding at the door.

"Follow me." Saleh led the group as they dashed down the corridor. Within a moment, the soldiers broke through the main entrance and ran inside after them. The group ran downstairs, where Saleh led them into the study hall where they had done their research. Again, once everyone was inside, they slammed the doors and barred them shut.

Gerik studied the room, noting all the books that had been scattered all over the floor. "Well, I see you two had a good time in here."

"That's very funny, Gerik," Saleh grumbled, clearly not in the mood for jokes. "Ewan, you said you saw something behind the shelf, correct?"

"Huh? Oh yeah!" Ewan replied.

Saleh went to inspect the shelf. "Gerik, help me pull this."

"Right." Gerik went to his side, and together, they began to pull the corner of the shelf away from the wall.

"That's enough," Saleh said, stopping. He wanted enough space to squeeze in, but not so much that it would be immediately noticeable from the doorway. As he squeezed in, he noticed a lone handle bolted into it. He pulled it aside, and sure enough, the wall slid aside, revealing a secret passageway.

"There's a passageway here," he said. "It's our only way out."

Suddenly, they heard the loud and incessant pounding on the door again.

"Hurry, let's go!" Gerik guided everyone else into the passageway before entering himself, pulling the shelf back as much as he could.

Once everyone was inside, the weary heroes began to make their escape.


End file.
